Cross Country camp begins with a splash
A new school year is about to begin in a few short weeks which also means fall sports are on the horizon. The STC Cross Country team kicked off the season this week during their annual cross country camp. The team welcomes a new but familiar head coach. Robert Tyynismaa has transitioned from the assistant coach to the head coach following the resignation of long time head coach, George Kuhter.
This is Tyynismaa’s ninth year of coaching. He said he is feeling a little panicked being the head coach versus the assistant coach but is also looking forward to the season. He has been exposed to a lot of things over that 9 year period that will help make him successful. Filling Tyynismaa’s shoes is new assistant coach Baron Davis. Davis is a former cross country state qualifier for the Knoxville Panthers (2006) and a three-time cross country letter winner at Simpson College. Baron and his wife Rachel, who is a Language Arts teacher at STCHS, live in Toledo and have become increasingly more involved with STC activities as the years progress. Most recently Baron has served as a volunteer high school wrestling coach for the Trojans.
Much like Davis, Tyynismaa grew up running. He began running in elementary and ran competitively through high school. Tyynismaa graduated from Jacksonville Senior High School in North Carolina.
Tyynismaa believes that his high school girls team is in pretty decent shape. While they graduated a strong senior class of girls last spring, the team does have 2016 state qualifier Callie Frakes returning. Frakes came in 87th at the State Cross Country meet her freshman year. She did so while battling a foot injury. Tyynismaa stated she has been taking it easy on her miles but is healthy and ready to compete. The high school boys team Tyynismaa believes will be middle of the road as far as competition goes.
The camp ran this week and was open for 5th-12th grade students. Competition beings on Thursday, August 24 at MCC.
- Participants at cross country camp work out at the pool on Wednesday, August 2 under the direction of new head coach Robert Tyynismaa. News Herald Photo/Allison Graham